A Shift In Reality
by goldenslider
Summary: prologue story to Stories of Ryan Evans but can be read as a standalone story. Ryan has a late night encounter with characters from his unfinished stories. Written as a tongue in cheek story to me never being able to finish stories.


I'd written something similar to this about years ago and never finished it - intentionally. It was supposed to a tongue in cheek story about me never finishing writing the stories that I started.

Re-reading it, I decided it would be perfect for Ryan's character in The Stories Of Ryan Evans. So this is a prologue to that story, but could be seen as a standalone story in that it's pretty much self contained. Nothing in The Stories Of Ryan Evans pays mention to any of this.

* * *

A short story by Ryan Evans

* * *

It took a long time for the computer to switch itself on and load Windows. Running through Scandisk for the third time this evening, finally the familiar chime of the start up music played. 

I sat down on the swivel chair just in front of the table, crossed my legs, and brought the wireless keyboard onto my lap. Moving the mouse with my right hand, I moved to the folder where I had been five minutes previously, where the document I had been working on before the electricity went out sat.

Three times before the computer had switched itself off when the power went out, due to the storm outside. Rain, high winds, thunder, lightning… We've never had it this bad before.

I opened the document, and scrolled to the last few lines, to see where I would have to start typing from again. I saved it every five minutes, so not too much had been lost. I started writing again.

This story was one I had been looking forward to write for ages. The idea had been in my mind, my brain unravelling the story day after day, and now, I'd finally thought of a timeline of chapters that I could finally write about.

I know that I shouldn't have started another story, when I've got so many lying in the same folder still to be finished…

Maybe if I hadn't, none of the madness that made me write all this wouldn't have happened…

This new story was about my new favourite show: Doctor Who. I've fallen in love with the characters of Rose and The Doctor and now I'm getting the feelings for them out. I had all the details in my mind, all I had to do was get the story out on paper – or in this case, on the screen.

I was to be The Doctor's travelling companion, much like Rose. Only Rose would be written out, and it would be just me and The Doctor. My Doctor. My Regenerated Doctor. Doctor Troy.

But, like the last three times before, the power went out. The storm was really persistent on me not writing this story.

All the lights in my room went out, the tv went off, the blinking zeros on the video where I hadn't bothered to reset it after the last time went out, and I heard a loud scream from Sharpay again, like the last three times. She really is scared of the dark.

Everything in the house was off…

Except the computer monitor.

That was still there, still bright, showing the folder of unfinished stories on screen. I put the keyboard back on the shelf next to the mouse.

Then there was a crackling sound, like the sound you get when you move a crisp packet around in your hand. Suddenly, without me touching the mouse or the keyboard, the first document in the folder opened, and all the text showed up on screen.

"In Every Generation" was the words in the title. My story about my sister Sharpay becoming a Slayer I'd started writing back when the final episode of Buffy aired. Then, another document opened up, this time reading "Rewards", my story about Smallville. Another document popped up, than another, and another.

A few seconds later, there were about twenty different windows opened on the screen, all different stories…

The crackling sound came again, this time louder, getting louder all the time. Until suddenly, it stopped.

The room became eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the computer. Then there was the sound of thunder, and a flash of lightning. Then the power came back on.

Then… Then it happened…

A hand shot out from the monitor. Just an ordinary hand, with the glimpse of a watch from behind the glass. The hand became an arm, and the arm became a body, and with the body came a wet head.

I looked at the person in awe, completely stunned by what I had just seen.

Either I was going completely insane, or the entire laws of physics were just proved crap. But in front of me, standing facing me, was Jon Lee, a former member of S Club 7, his topless body covered in sand, which he duly rubbed off onto the carpet.

Another hand came from the monitor, followed by another, then another, and eventually there were six people standing in front of me, each of them familiar in a certain way.

Standing over in front of the tv was Xander Harris, complete with an axe in one hand and a cross in the other. On the other side of him was my sister Sharpay, dressed up in what could only be described as a military uniform.

At the other side of the room, in front of the fire place, was Troy Bolton – my Doctor, looking up at a few framed photos hanging on the wall.

Next to him was Rose Tyler, wearing a jacket about two sizes too large for her.

And in front of me still stood Jon Lee.

I felt ill. My head was spinning, my stomach was churning. Why?

Because here in front of me stood people from tv shows or my real life sister or friend. But even more… They were all people from my stories.

I started to stand up, but the guy in front of me placed his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back against the seat.

"We've got a score to settle with you." He said.

This was too much. Here I was stuck in a chair, having just been pushed down by Jon Lee, someone I had admired for years ever since S Club first formed. Okay, I know I might be a bit sad, but what do you expect from someone who writes stories all day…

"What do you mean?" I said, my voice shaking.

"You know what we mean." Sharpay spoke in her loud voice, stepping forward two steps.

"We mean starting so many stories at the same time…" Doctor Troy spoke from the side.

"…And not having the balls to finish them." Rose Tyler said from next to Troy.

"You've made us do stuff we normally wouldn't." Xander said from next to the tv.

"And with people we normally wouldn't have." Jon said, leaning one arm on Xander's shoulder.

I looked at each of them. All of them were looking at me as if I was some kind of alien or something.

"But it's not my fault." I say softly. "I can't help it if I get an idea for a story. They just come to me. And I just write them."

Troy steps forward so he is standing next to Jon.

"But why do you never finish them?"

I looked up at him. His eyes were a pure green, much more greener than how I see him at school.

"I don't know. I guess I just lose interest."

Now it's Xander's turn to step forward.

"Lose interest? You sayin' we're not interesting?"

I move forward slightly, trying not too look too scared.

"It's not like that. I love what I've written of you, all of you, it's just after a while the novelty wears off."

Sharpay has taken the axe from Xander and is now resting it over her right shoulder.

"First he calls us not interesting, then he calls us novelties." She looks over at me with deep glaring eyes. "We're not toys. We're human beings."

"Actually, that's not really true." Troy said. "To him, we're not people. We're just words on a page, doing what we're told to do. He made me fall in love with him after all."

"He made me become a Vampire Slayer, and have to put up with him," Sharpay says as she gestures to Xander.

"He made me snog Andrew." Xander calls out.

Turning back from the others, Jon faces me again.

"And you made me have sex on a beach. With Paul of all people."

Now they're all facing me again. All of them with looks of disgust, hurt, anger all over their faces.

"Can I say something?"

I stand up as Jon nods his approval. I take a step forwards. My knees go weak. I'm looking into the eyes of Jon Lee. How could this day get any weirder?

"I'm sorry, for all I've done to you. But for why I did it…" I turn now and face Rose. "I'm sorry I left you stuck on some weird world while The Doctor took me all over the universe."

I now look at Sharpay. "I'm so sorry I turned you into a killer. Made you experience the pain and misery of all the other Slayers. Xander," I say turning, "I'm sorry I made you and Andrew be together, especially only a month after losing Anya."

"Troy, I'm so sorry that I made you fall in love with me. This was my way to work out my feelings for you, and I know they are way out of character for both The Doctor and you, but it's not as if you'd look twice at me in real life, is it?"

Troy stepped back slightly. I never found out why he chose that moment to back away from everyone else.

"And Jon. I am so very sorry that I hooked you up with Paul, for getting you both put into jail, and having you beaten up for days on end. Please believe me. You are the one person I worshipped nearly every day for 4 years." I turn a bit to look at the others. "All of you. My stories are the ways for me to release my own feelings. To have you guys do the things I could never do. In a strange way, I think of all the characters as friends. Guess I need to get out more and find some of my own."

Sharpay has just hooked the axe in her belt. "Sounds like you need to start living in reality, lil bro."

"I'm so sorry for all I've done, believe me. But you know I'm not the only one writing these stories."

"We know." Troy speaks up from the side. "You should see some of the stuff most of us have been in. But I guess it's just a bit of harmless fun."

"Hey, we better go." Rose says to me. "Sounds like there's gonna be another power outage soon. No offense guy, but I don't wanna be trapped here forever."

She reaches over to the computer monitor. As she puts his fingers up against the screen, she turns to me again.

"Just no more stories where I end up stuck somewhere on my own, right?"

Her fingers move into the monitor, and she disappears inside. At the same time, the document that was the story closed.

Sharpay moved a few steps to the right. "Next story you write, please don't make me have to kick butt. It's a bit painful on the back."

"I promise, big sis."

"Yeah, and don't stick me with Andrew next time. Maybe someone sexy like Angel or Spike." Xander said as he linked his hand with Sharpay, and they disappeared into the screen.

Jon didn't look at me at first. "Don't put me through so much pain in future." Now he looks at me. "But I did like that scene on the beach with Paul." He smiles as he touches the screen.

I turn to face Doctor Troy. He is still standing in the same spot he was in since he arrived.

"So, what about finishing stories in future? Not leaving them half done."

I pause for a second.

"I'll try my best."

"Good. I'm rather looking forward to seeing what happens."

I look into his deep eyes. He no longer has all the anger and pain he had when he first came through. Now, his eye's are just normal green.

"I hope you didn't get hurt too bad."

He starts walking slowly to the right, heading for the monitor.

"I'm okay. See…" He moves his hands up and down in front of him. "TimeLord, Ry. We don't stay hurt for long."

I take two steps back as he reaches the monitor. Just as he is about to touch the screen, I move up to him.

"Hey…" I put one hand on his arm and turn him round. And just like that, I kiss him, ever so softly, on the lips, no resistance whatsoever.

Moving his head back, he says quietly, "What happened to living in reality?"

I look into his eyes for a second. "Reality can wait."

EPILOGUE

Real Life. It had all been a dream. As usual, I had dozed off while typing. I'm sitting at my chair in front of the computer, the light on the video is set at its normal time, the carpet needed a bit of a hoover though, but everything is as it was.

Music. I need music on if I need to clean. I reached over next to the monitor and took the top disc off the pile, but noticed something different. The picture frame.

The opening night picture from Twinkle Towne. Of me, Shar, Gabi and Troy.

In silver pen on the front of the picture, was the words "Keep on writing", followed by a name. Four letters, scribbled beautifully under his picture.

But only… I could have sworn that wasn't there before…


End file.
